The names given on those occasions are not like your “Jack,” “Harry,” or “Dick,” but are usually words chosen “from the dictionary” for their lucky import, or because they are supposed to possess the power of warding off evil influences in the child’s horoscope. You should know that in China a baby’s fortune is told almost as soon as he is born, the events of his life being foretold with surprising particularity. In order to ward off malignant influences from the future of their child, rich people often spend great sums of money. To some deities, especially to the God of Longevity, vows are made, and promises of presents annually, if the god will protect baby and bring him through certain crises in his life; and thus, willing or unwilling, the idol is supposed bound to be the child’s tutelary guardian. Also blind fortune-tellers are paid to intercede for the infant with their particular idol. If you were living in China, you would notice the strings of amulets which youngsters wear. They are sometimes made of gold and silver; but often these necklaces are composed of mere scraps of paper with talismanic characters penned by priests; they are supposed to be efficacious in scaring away evil spirits. The priests, fortune-tellers, lessees of temples, clairvoyants, and astrologers drive a flourishing trade in these mysterious wares. For these charms, and the friendliness of the idols being a matter of life or death, of future happiness or misery to the beloved child, of course the poor are just as eager to spend money in this way as the rich, and through baby’s life they continue to pay annual instalments of money for these things. On my christening-day friends came to see me and to congratulate my family, and a feast was made in my honor. When the guests departed they carried each a slice of roast pork as a return-gift. Roast pig is the national festal dish in China, as you will learn. No occasion is complete without it, whether it be a religious festival, the worship of ancestors, a wedding, or a birthday celebration. One feature of my christening feast was that my mother was permitted to have all she wanted of pigs’ feet and ginger pickled together. It is believed that baby’s food will be more abundant if the mother eat plentifully of this delicacy. From what I have since observed I suppose that as it was the winter season I was wrapped in “swaddling clothes;” and I think the layers of garments would have caused the death of any ordinary American baby. First came much underwear of cotton cloth; then a jacket; then another jacket; then a gown padded with cotton; then still another quilted coat of bright calico; and over all a bib. I wore a cap too, but no shoes until I was able to walk. My hair was shaved off except a small tuft, which was the beginning, the embryo, you may say, of the queue of the future.